The trivialisation of comment
The internet has undoubtedly revolutionised the way we consume news. One function of many news websites is that readers are able to comment on stories. In principle, there is nothing wrong with this. It is important for writers to take accountability for what they produce in the most immediate sense, as it is equally important for opinions to act as stimuli for debate and discussion.
Comment should be encouraged as a means of providing fresh perspective on issues. A score of stimulating, engaging comments can replicate the polemical paradise of a mass discussion with hundreds of people. In successful cases, the interest of the ensuing discussion far outstrip interest in the original article. Unfortunately, this relies on people exercising restraint on their opinions. If somebody has nothing interesting to say, they must stop themselves from commenting on an article.
Trite and uninteresting, the worst of what can barely be labelled ‘opinion’ often reflects moronic stupidity. However, whilst stupidity is a burden the world must unfortunately carry, what we should not have to suffer are comments that are flaccidly vapid and ultimately plain dull. When reading responses to an item of news, I don’t want to feel like the Most Boring Man in the World has cornered me and is insisting I listen to what he says. Such insipid material is often so lifeless that its authenticity can barely be believed.
Predictably, the worst offenders of this are the worst newspapers, allowing their intellectually dilapidated readers to state the obvious or reiterate predictable political and moral standpoints. Of course, before the advent of the internet, the effort of actually holding a pen and composing a letter would have been too much for these perpetrators of banality. The internet has revolutionised, but also trivialised the voicing of opinion. The Guardian preaches that ‘comment is free’. In some cases it clearly carries a higher price than that. If people are to comment, they should remember an opinion is a responsibility, not a liberty.
John Edwards
